The Labor enquirer., 1887-05-21

graveyard of liberty, and in that region at
least that the stars and stripes are faunt-
ing lie?
But then what of the rag on stick!'
All who are acquainted with the scope of
the industrial movement, all who have
listened to or read discourses on the social
problems, and especially all who are ac-
quainted with Walter w. Vrooman and his
agitation, know that he would not use
such language as is attributed to him, dis
connected and alone. Whatever he said,
was said in connection with some point in
logical line of argument. The mere re-
port of the associated liars is prima fdcie
evidence that the exact language reported
was never used-the report of the simple
arguments of such speeches by capital
istic hirelings was never known in history.
But if any references were made some
what derogatory to the worship of that
sacred emblem, the stars and stripes,
which by being alloyed with nine-tenths
lie, could be wrenched into the telegraphic
report current, anyone familiar with the
movement can easily conjecture the line
of argument treated on-at least one
which should have been treated 'on.-<
1t is the superstition for rag. This
is at the present time most necessary
topic of agitation. At this particular
time the workers seem liable to be. ir
reconcilably divided oyer the color of a
rag. One faction wants\a blue field on
one corner, studded with stars, the rest
alternate red and nothing else will
do. The others demand the scarlet rag
the banner of one blood-beautiful emblem
of fraternity. For him none but the red
flag will do.
BoTH ARE FOOLS!
That superstition for rag must be
buried before men can be free. The eter-
nal principles must be guarded. The
tenets and actions of the advancing hosts
must be questioned and watched more
than the rags they carry at their mast
heads.
Had the rebels in firing on Fort Sump
ter raised the stars and stripes as their
own emblem; had they beneath those
fpIlc cfnr Woahtn~tnr o,,I
fought for secession and slavery, would it
have been the part of wise men or patri-
OTIS to join treason's army or lay down
arms before the march of slavery's hosts,
because they had that sacred flag In
short, is there anything sacred in the flag
in itself This is pertinent question.
When divorced from the sacred principles
it once was made to re present, when wav-
ing over the enemy, is the flag itself any
thing more than rag on a stick?" Or
has it in its very folds a sort of spiritual
essence which, however prostituted, it is
sacrilege not to revere?
You remember, doubtless, the history
of the ancient conquerer who, when going
to subdue nation to whom the goose was
a sacred bird, drove flock of geese be-
fore his advancing army. The supersti
tious fools would not defend themselves
for fear of hurting their sacred emblem.
Are we such fools as they The capital
istic lords are striving to work on us the
same game. Is it not a pertinent argu-
ment that we must scientifically and
searchingly get down to principles, and
not superstitiously follow any emblem be-
cause it has represented grand things in
the past Would not such line of argu-
ment have been a natural thing and a
proper thing! And are there not strange
facts enough in these United States, which
if recounted would naturally draw forth
some strange questions. If the speaker
had only rehearsed small fraction of the
capitalistic anarchy sheltered under the
folds of the stars and stripes; if he had
referred to that drinking, whoring, bribe-
taking crowd of bum politicians who con-
Tgregate at Washington to make laws for
that flag to float over; if he had referred
toathe wrecking career of such monopO-
lies as the Standard Oil Company, pro-
tected beneath the silken folds of that
adored emblem if he had depicted that
fostering nest of gamblers on Wall street,
sucking the life-blood of the nation, Sc
cured by those holy stars and stripes; if
he had shown that revered token that
waved over the victorious armies at York
town and Appomatox, now waving over a
pork corner; if also he had shown the fes-
tering crime and poverty of the tenement
quarters of our cities, the horrible drudg-
cry and insecurity of the life of the min
ers, the lonely, desolate, dreary existence
of the rural pioneer, the hopeless strug-
giles of the tramp, and his army constant
ly increasing; if he had recalled the Bah
alonian tendency toward debauchery, the
heartless arrogance and RIGHTEOUSNESS of
the aristocracy, the starvation wages of
our sisters who toll, their precarious con-
dition forcing them irresistibly into pros
titution or starvation; if he had recounted
the steady increase of drunkenness, in